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18C outside? Then it’s the perfect day for a crime

David Brown

May 4 2015, 1:01am, The Times

Crime rates begin to fall when it is hotter than 64FAndy Rain/EPA

A balmy spring day is the perfect weather for criminals, a police expert has found. An analysis of millions of crime reports has found that offending peaks at 64F (18C), the temperature forecast for parts of the country today.

Police officers have long noted that “PC Rain” is the best deterrent and that rising temperatures lead to an increase in violent crime.

The analysis, by Peter Langmead-Jones, from Greater Manchester police, has now found that crime rates do rise with the temperature, but they also begin to fall when it is hotter than 64F.

He also found that police sickness was lowest at that temperature.

Dr Langmead-Jones presented the results of an analysis of 6.6 million crime records covering a decade to a recent conference…

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